Unexpected Surprise
by efwrocks
Summary: Buffy Summers runs away, where she meets Damon Salvatore. Now in Mystic Falls, she is surrounded by the supernatural again.
1. First Encounter

Disclaimer: I do not own the fandoms of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' or 'The Vampire Diaries', though I wish I did. Time frame for 'Buffy' is after the movie when she burns down the gym and goes to the asylum; she just got out. Time frame for 'TVD' is the same year. The POV changing is only in this chapter.

* * *

Buffy's POV

I couldn't stand to look at my so-called parents, especially Hank Summers. At this point I refused to call him my father. They locked me in an asylum where they said I had schizophrenia because I told Mom and Hank about me being the vampire Slayer. To get out, I had to recant my statements involving the vampires and other supernatural stuff.

Regardless, I am now out and in my bedroom in our house in Los Angeles, California. It was a large, three-story Victorian style home in the suburbs. Hank was an architect and made a lot of money, so I got pretty much whatever I wanted. Now, I was packing two bags with clothes, my saved up allowance, and whatever else I might need when I left tonight. I also wrote a note saying I was leaving and that I wasn't coming back, at least anytime soon.

I played my part perfectly at dinner. I acted like I had been lately, which was more distant than the day before. I made small talk and went back to my room, where I made the final preparations for tonight.

Once the night came, Hank and Mom fought as usual, they went to bed, and I made my move. I snuck down to the kitchen and got a few bottles of water and snacks and put them in my bag before I went out the door and never looked back.

I went to the bus station and got the ticket for the first bus out of California, not caring where it was going.

* * *

Damon's POV

I was bored. Bored was an understatement. I was in a bar and grill in Las Vegas and wanting a drink. I looked around the room and that was the first time I saw this girl. She must be the new waitress. She was a little over five feet, had medium length blonde hair, was still developing, and seemed sad. She didn't look like she was old enough to be a waitress here. She looked like she should still be in school, not working in a restaurant at eleven in the morning on a Tuesday in the middle of May.

She was a mystery in a world of ordinary. I stared at her for a moment longer before she looked up at me and narrowed her eyes; even more interesting. She walked over to me and stared at me for a moment before speaking in a dangerously sweet voice.

"How are you out during the day?"

I froze in place. How did she know? I had to find out. "I don't know what you mean, sweetheart."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't play dumb with me." She leaned in so only I could hear. "You're a vampire."

I looked at her dangerously. No use trying to 'play dumb' as she put it. I'll just compel her and she'll forget that I'm a vampire. There still is the issue of how she found out in the first place. I'll just compel her to finish working so we can continue this conversation later after she gets off of work. I looked directly into her eyes and felt the compulsion coming.

"Return to your work. Finish your shift. Forget we had this conversation."

She stared at me. Then she started laughing. I was in shock. I couldn't believe it. Apparently, she couldn't be compelled, which meant she had Vervain on or in her, or she was a vampire too. I knew it wasn't the second one because she wouldn't be walking around in the day and asking how I do it. She had Vervain on. Where did she get it from?

"You've got to be kidding me! You can't tell me what to do. However, I do need to get back to work, so if you will, I want to talk to you afterwards. I get off at four." She turned and walked back to where she was before and continued working. I decided to pay for my drink and go spend five hours thinking about what to do next.

* * *

Third Person's POV

Once four o'clock came around, Buffy was so glad. She walked out of the restaurant and ran right into a large body. She had been paying attention to where she was going, so it surprised her. She looked up and saw the man from before. Now that she could say things more freely, and more free to look at him closer, she looked him up and down and had to admit that he was kind of really hot. Yeah, definitely a vampire... who else could look like that?

"You should watch where you're going. You might run into someone dangerous." Damon was standing there with calculating eyes that were clearly lethal. He had on dark jeans, a black t-shirt, and dark tennis shoes.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "I can handle myself. I may not feel like fighting, but I will if I have to." She took a step trying to go around him, but he caught her by the arm to stop her.

"How old are you?" He looked at her like he really wanted to know, but also like he was suspicious of her.

She sighed. "It doesn't matter. Let me go." She tried pulling her arm out of his hand, but she barely got it to move in another direction.

"No." He held her arm tighter and pulled her close. "I'll release my grip on one condition. Come with me and talk. No running." He looked into her eyes intensely.

She stared back into his for a moment. "Why should I? I don't even know who you are."

He rolled his eyes. "Because A- It's the only way your arm is getting loose, and B- I'll tell you who I am if you come with me."

She held still for a long moment before she sighed. "Fine."

He let go of her arm and looped his arm around hers before leading her in the direction of his temporary living quarters, aka his hotel room.

* * *

The room was decorated with beautiful furnishings, neutral colors, and was very sophisticated. He sat down on one of the couches and offered Buffy the other.

"So, what's your name, beautiful?" Damon was intrigued, yet he believed that she was hiding something major.

"Anne. What's yours?" She sat with her hands under her legs to keep from jumping around too much. She was already bouncing them up and down.

He smirked. "Damon." He leaned forward. "How old are you really?"

She held back a laugh. "Why does it matter so much?"

He suppressed a growl. "It just does." He rolled his eyes and sighed. "Alright, if you won't answer that right now, then answer this. Where did you get Vervain and how do you know to wear it?"

She looked confused now. "What's Vervain? Why would I wear it?"

He looked at her astonished. "You mean you don't know?" Buffy shook her head. "Vervain is a flower that keeps you from being compelled by vampires. You have some on." She looked even more confused, which only frustrated him more.

"What do you mean compelled?" she asked him.

Damon sighed and put his hands on his face and braced his arms against his knees. While staying like this, he asked, "What _do_ you know about vampires then?"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "I know that they can't go out in the sunlight, otherwise, they burst into flames. A stake through the heart means a pile of dust. Holy water and crosses only hold them off for so long. Finally, their game face gives them a bumpy forehead with glowing yellow eyes."

He sighed and rolled his eyes. Of course, she only knew about that kind of vampire. "Okay, you have a lot to learn, Blondie." With that, he stood up and poured himself a drink before sitting back down. "First thing though, how did you find out about vampires and how could you tell I am one?"

She took a deep breath. "Because I am the Slayer."


	2. Compulsion

Thank you for the reviews everyone! I am glad that you are liking the story!

* * *

Last time:

"First thing though, how did you find out about vampires and how could you tell I am one?"

Buffy took a deep breath. "Because I am the Slayer."

* * *

Damon looked at her with his glass of alcohol at his mouth. She had to be joking. "You're the Slayer?" He couldn't believe it. She was so small.

She became slightly nervous now. "Yep, that's me."

"How old are you?" She still hadn't answered his original question.

She took a deep breath before answering. "Eighteen."

Damon rolled his eyes. "Don't give me that bull. What's your real age?"

Buffy sighed before looking at the ground and muttering, "Fifteen."

That Damon could believe. She was too young to be exposed to this world if you asked him. "Why are you by yourself and working at fifteen? You should be in school."

She huffed before looking up and answering, her voice stronger than before. "I got kicked out of school; I ran away; the end."

He was surprised. He didn't expect that answer. "How did you get kicked out?"

Her voice turned harder. "That's none of your business." She got up and started heading towards the door.

He was in front of her nearly instantaneously. "We're not done."

She glared up at him. "I say we are." Part of the reason she wanted to leave was because thinking about what happened brought about thoughts she didn't want to think. She tried to walk around him but he grabbed her arm.

"Sit back down. Now." His voice was cold and sounded like the true predator he was.

Buffy didn't feel like fighting, so she went back to the couch and crossed her arms over her chest. "Fine."

He took a deep breath to calm down before going back to his chair and drink. He took a long sip before speaking again. "What do you know about Vervain?"

She was confused about this line of questioning. "Nothing, I've never heard about it."

Just then, Damon noticed something he hadn't before. She had a cross necklace around her neck that looked like it could be opened. "Can I see your necklace for a minute, please?"

She looked confused but took it off and handed it to him by the chain. "Sure."

He grabbed the chain and pulled the cross up to smell it. "Well, what do you know?" He looked at her. "Where did you get this from?"

"My watcher gave it to me." She didn't know why it mattered to him about a simple necklace. He put it on the table beside him.

He smirked and looked into her eyes. He thought, 'This might be fun.' He walked over to sit in front of her on the table. He took her hand and pulled her to sit in front of him without her leaning back. He put his hands on her shoulders. "Look into my eyes." He felt his eyes dilating to compel her. "Answer the questions I ask you honestly and completely."

"Answer the questions honestly and completely." He smiled in success. He let her go before sitting on the chair again.

"How old are you?"

She answered in a flat tone. "Fifteen."

"Why did you get kicked out of school?"

"I burned down the high school gym."

Not the answer he was expecting. "Why?"

"It was filled with vampires. They were attacking the prom."

He sighed and shook his head. The schools now were idiots if you asked him. "Why were you blamed?"

She sounded a little sad, even through the compulsion. "Everyone forgot that the gym was filled with vampires and just remembered that I was the one that burned it down."

"Why are you here alone?" he asked as he walked over to a counter where he had laid out a few bottles of alcohol he bought that are actually worth something and grabbed one before sitting back down. He filled his glass.

She sounded even sadder. "I ran away."

"Why did you run away?"

A tear fell down her cheek. "Because my parents put me in an asylum. It was Hank. He convinced my mom that I needed to be there. I got out last week. They always fight now, and it's over me."

He felt sorry for her. "Who's Hank?"

She frowned. "My biological father, all he is now is a sperm donor. He doesn't care. All he cares about now is screwing his latest secretary."

Now he was angry. Not at her, but at this Hank. She seemed like she just had some bad luck, not a trouble maker. He knew he probably shouldn't ask the next question, but she looked like she could benefit from it right now. "Do you want a drink?" He held up the bottle of bourbon he put on the table beside him.

She looked at it before smiling slightly. "Sure. Why not?"

He quickly went and got her a glass. He poured some in, not too much, and handed it to her. She took a small sip. She shuddered a little at the taste of it. She felt a burn on the back of her throat and on her tongue. The heat lingered slightly as it dimmed. "Thank you."

He smiled at her. "You're welcome." He leaned against the back of the chair. "What do you plan on doing for the future?"

She looked at him confused. "I hadn't really thought about it. I just planned on staying away from where Hank is. I may end up sending my mom a letter or a phone call once I feel better, but right now, I just wanted to get away." She took another sip of the drink he gave her and shuddered again.

A thought no one would think him capable of came to his mind. "I think that you should be back in school; enjoying life while you still can. What would you say about coming with me? You wouldn't have to worry about money or anything like that."

She considered it for a minute. "I don't know. How do I know I can trust you?"

He smirked. "You don't." He was suddenly in front of her. He put his hands on her shoulders again while massaging them, making compelling her that much easier. "Come with me." He ran back over to his chair as she came back from the realm of compulsion.

"I'll go with you," she responded.

He smiled. "Thank you." He took a drink of bourbon before setting the empty tumbler down and walking over to see her glass empty now too. He helped her stand up.

"Where are we going?" Buffy wanted to know.

He chuckled. "Eager, are we?" He opened the door for her. "First, we are going to get your things. Then, we will do some sightseeing. Tomorrow, we will leave Las Vegas and pay a visit to a friend of mine."

Once they were in the elevator on the way down to the ground floor, Buffy asked, "Who's your friend?"

He half-smirked, half-grimaced. "His name is Stefan. He's my little brother."

Buffy looked up in wonder. It was obvious they had a sibling rivalry thing going on by his reaction. What had happened? Then her mind registered that he had never given her back the necklace from Merrick. "Hey, where's my necklace?"

He groaned internally before answering. "It's on the table in the hotel room." By this point they were in his car and leaving the parking garage. "Where are you staying?"

She gave him the address, he nodded, and he drove in the right direction. He had been there before. It was a sucky neighborhood that women are brave to venture into. Especially so if that woman was a human fifteen year old. She may be the Slayer, but that wouldn't matter to a stray bullet. The fact that she was kind of hot and wore skimpy outfits didn't help that any.

The apartment she was in was run down, had a twin bed in one corner, and a table meant for two in the other. There was a dresser on the other wall that had a small television on it with two little antennas. The colors on the wall, the floor, and everywhere else that wasn't something she brought in were dull and dark. She grabbed two bags out from under the bed and packed her belongings in them.

"How did you get this place?" He didn't understand. It was obvious that she wasn't old enough to rent the apartment. You had to be eighteen at least. He then thought that the person getting the money wouldn't care how old they are as long as they got the check, particularly in this area.

"I just told them I was eighteen. They didn't question me about my age or anything. As long as I pay the rent, they don't care." She shrugged her bag onto her shoulder. "Okay. I got everything."

He nodded in response and turned towards the door. He held it open for her and they walked out and down the hall to the stairs. On the ground floor, the building manager was sitting in his office. He looked up once he heard someone come in.

"May help you?" He didn't even bother smiling.

"I would like to turn in my keys. I'm leaving." Buffy put her keys on the counter.

The manager looked at Damon suspiciously before nodding his head and taking the keys before typing something in on the computer on his desk. "What's your name?"

"Anne Merrick." He typed it into the computer and clicked a few things.

"Alright, all done. You're no longer a tenant."

She smiled. "Thank you."

Damon held out his hand in the direction of the door. "Shall we?"

She smiled bigger. "We shall."

With that, they walked out of the door to Damon's car for their sightseeing.


	3. Road Trip

Thank you for the reviews and recommendations everyone!

* * *

Buffy was in the passenger seat in Damon's car while her belongings were in their bags in the trunk. She couldn't believe that she agreed to leave with him; even more so when they didn't really even know each other. Sure, they learned more about each other during the time they went around looking at things. She remembered everything that happened in the room earlier, from telling him her story for some reason and his obsession with her necklace. That thought reminded her of something.

"Where's my necklace?" she asked after about an hour of silence apart from the radio.

He looked over at her. "That was random." He then shook his head and sighed. He reached into a compartment on the side of the door and pulled it out. He dangled it from his thumb and pointer finger. She reached over to grab it from him. He yanked it away. "Ah-ah. I'm only giving this back to you under the condition you don't wear it."

She stared at him in shock. "Why would I do that?"

He smirked. "Because if you do, you are a lot less agreeable." He looked over at her. She had a hint of a glare on her face. "Oh, come on. You know it's true."

Her glare became harder. "What is that supposed to mean?"

He became annoyed. "It means you either take the necklace and not wear it or I'll hang on to it for a while."

She rolled her eyes. "Give me my necklace." He shook his head. "Please?"

He sighed. "Oh, Anne." His voice became slightly annoyed now. "You have to agree to not wear it. Otherwise, I won't give back to until at least the road trip is over. You could always attach it to your pocket book or something."

She leaned against the car window. "Fine, I won't wear it; at least for now."

He grinned triumphantly. "Thank you." He handed her the necklace. She clutched it for a minute before picking up her pocket book and attaching it to the loop on there.

She resumed her position against the car window and closed her eyes. She drifted off to sleep thinking about Merrick. Damon continued driving and thought about his next move. He just compelled the Slayer, who only knows what he told her about his breed of vampire, to come live with him. Anne was only fifteen. How was he going to deal with a fifteen year old girl? He needed to start thinking things through more before he did random things like this. He needed help. He picked up the phone and dialed the one person he knew that could help him.

The phone ringed only two times before a familiar voice came over the speaker. "Hello?"

* * *

Buffy woke up once the light came through the window of the hotel room they were in. She didn't remember stopping at one, or walking into a room. She looked over at the other bed and saw Damon asleep before looking at the clock to see that it was 5:45 in the morning. She got up out of the bed quietly and walked to the end of the bed. She stretched before starting Tai Chi. After a while, she did a hand stand before pulling one arm up to balance on one palm.

Unaware that Damon had woken up, Buffy was startled to hear his voice. "Fancy." She had to use Slayer reflexes to catch herself from falling on the floor on her face. He chuckled slightly at her expression, which was surprised. "Time to start getting ready; we leave in half an hour." With that, he walked into the bathroom with his clothes in hand.

Buffy looked at the clock to see that it was now almost 6:30 and walked over to her bag to find a comfortable outfit. She found some cloth pants and a t-shirt before grabbing some matching undergarments. She sat them on the bed before finding the bag with her toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, and soap and put it with her clothes.

While waiting on Damon, she went over to the window and pulling the curtains open. She looked around at what was there. They were at least a few stories up in a tall hotel in the outskirts of a city. Walking to the table to sit, she noticed a phone book and looked at to see where they were. The cover said Phoenix, Arizona.

At that moment, the door to the bathroom opened up and she saw Damon with blue jeans and an open button-up shirt on. He had a very in shape stomach. She thought that had to be another vampire thing. He saw her and smirked.

"Like what you see?" He opened his shirt more, and she blushed, which caused him to laugh. "Your turn."

She quickly grabbed her clothes and bag and went into the bathroom before he said anything else. She took a quick shower before getting dressed and drying her hair and pulling it back in a ponytail. She opened the door to find Damon waiting with their bags at the door on the floor and sitting there watching television. He looked over at her when she came out.

"Ready?" He picked up the remote and turned off the TV.

"Yeah." She put her clothes and bag in her suitcase equivalent.

They both lifted their bags and Buffy her pocket book too. Damon held open the door for her and then closed it once he was out. They took the elevator down to the bottom floor, where Damon handed in the key and checked out. When he was done, they walked out to his car and put everything in the trunk before sitting the front seat, though Buffy still had her pocket book out.

Damon pulled the car out of the parking lot and found somewhere to eat breakfast before they got back on their way. The drive was spent learning more about each other.

* * *

Since Damon was going around seventy miles an hour down the interstate, they were in Albuquerque, New Mexico by about one in the afternoon. They stopped and ate at a diner for lunch then got back on the interstate. Again with Damon going seventy, they made Oklahoma City in a little over seven and a half hours. They stopped and ate dinner before finding a hotel. Nearly the same routine followed the next morning, except Damon didn't startle Buffy this time.

After breakfast, more driving ensued. Buffy was starting to think Damon just liked going seventy miles an hour and assumed they would be the entire trip, the exception being in traffic. They had lunch in Memphis, Tennessee after nearly six and half hours of driving. They went sightseeing a little before continuing back on the drive.

About an hour later, Buffy asked, "Where are we going?"

Damon smirked a little because it had taken this long for her to ask that. "Virginia."

She got confused. "What's in Virginia?"

He smiled in return. "You'll have to wait and see."

That was the last of that conversation. Five and a half hours later found them in Knoxville, Tennessee. They found somewhere to eat before finding a hotel and exploring a little. They had been sitting down too long. At one point, Buffy found a vampire and got out Mr. Pointy in the alley they led it to. She let out her energy fighting the vampire. Once it was all nice and dusty, Buffy and Damon went back to the hotel and went to sleep after they each took a shower.

Even though they were reluctant to think it, they were getting a little closer. It wasn't exactly romantic, but it was like they were becoming friends.

The next morning, Buffy awoke to find Damon tapping her on the shoulder. He smiled. "Good morning, sleepy head. Time to wake up."

She could tell he already showered and dressed for the day. He was wearing black pants, not blue jeans but not dress clothes either, with a long-sleeved, black button-up shirt with the top two buttons left open.

She sat up and rubbed her eyes. "What time is it?"

He smirked. "Nearly seven in the morning. It's a pretty short drive today, so I figured we could start later. I'm already done, so it's your turn."

Buffy nodded. "Okay." She got up, found a pair of dark blue jeans and slightly dressier shirt than normal and grabbed her bag. If he dressed up like that after wearing more comfortable clothes for the rest of the drive, then she was going to try and wear something classier than what she had been. She went into the bathroom and proceeded to shower.

While Buffy was in the shower, Damon thought back to his phone conversation he had after she had fallen asleep in the car that first night.

* * *

Flashback~

_The phone ringed only two times before a familiar voice came over the speaker. "Hello?"_

_Damon smirked. "Hello."_

_The voice on the other end of the phone sighed. "Damon. What do you want?"_

_He rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on. What makes you think that I want something just because I call you? What if I just wanted to say hello?"_

_The voice replied, sounding as if this was a common occurrence, "With you, that's unlikely. What do you want?"_

_He sighed. "Fine. I need your help. What do you do with a fifteen year old girl?"_

_The other person was silent for a minute before asking, "What?"_

"_I ended up taking home a fifteen year old girl because I just felt something that made me think 'I don't want her to be alone' so I have her with me."_

_The voice answered disbelievingly, "You're kidding, right?"  
_

_Damon was getting slightly annoyed. "Do you really think so lowly of me that I wouldn't do anything nice? It's not like she was staying with anyone. She ran away from home."_

"_So you miraculously took it upon yourself to take her in?"_

"_Yes. Now, about what I need help with please?" Damon was ready to hit something._

_The voice sighed and responded, "Register the girl for a school or something."_

_Damon rolled his eyes. "She got kicked out of the last one she went to. Besides, it's nearly summer break."_

"_Whatever, Damon. I have to go." The voice hung up then, leaving Damon steaming._

_He talked to himself, saying, "See you soon." He pushed the end button to make sure before putting the phone down beside him and thought of things to do._

Damon was pulled out of his thoughts as Buffy came out of the bathroom dressed and ready. She put everything she needed to in her bag before zipping it up.

"Ok. I'm ready." She picked up her bag and waited for Damon to the same.

"Me too." He grabbed his bag and held open the door for her. They walked out the door, got on the elevator, checked out, put their bags in the trunk, and got in the car. They ate breakfast and got onto the interstate.

It didn't take long for Buffy to ask. "This morning you said we had a short drive. Where are we going to?"

Damon rolled his eyes. "We only have about five or six hours to go before we get there. You'll have to wait until then."

She sighed at his response before looking out the window. He turned on the radio and put the volume low for some background music. They drove like this four and a half hours before stopping in Lynchburg, Virginia.

At the diner they were in, Damon started talking to Buffy. "We have about another half hour before we get to where we're going."

Buffy was confused. "Why did we stop here then if we're that close?"

Damon rolled his eyes. "I would rather we eat now and then just get to our destination instead of eating there and then going where we are. It's a surprise, not only to you, but to someone else as well." Damon looked at her in the eyes and compelled her. "Stop asking about where we are going."

Buffy responded slightly monotone. "Okay."

Damon leaned back in his seat as their food came. After they finished eating, they got in the car and headed back to the road. It took them about twenty minutes before he started slowing down to fifty miles an hour, actually going the speed limit when they came into the county. Buffy saw a sign that said 'Welcome to Mystic Falls!' before seeing the outskirts of the town. It looked like it was some of the smaller towns she had seen when she was cheerleader and they had an away game.

Damon pulled onto a road that lead to a partially hidden driveway that he turned onto. The driveway was over a mile long; it lead to a large, magnificent mansion. Buffy sat in surprise with her mouth slightly open. He smirked when he looked over at her.

He leaned over and whispered. "Don't leave the car yet. I'm going to surprise someone I know." She nodded in response.

He got out of the car quietly. He had the top down, so he hopped out. He streaked into the woods beside the house and then she saw fog come out of nowhere in the direction he ran. She saw a figure jump up into an open window and assumed it was him.

* * *

A medium-sized man with blondish, slightly brown hair and green eyes was coming into his room. He sat down at the desk he had and untied a journal before starting to write in it. He had an odd discussion with his brother a few days ago. He just hoped that it didn't lead the man towards here. He lived in Mystic Falls, Virginia. He went to high school, had a girlfriend, was on the football team, and everything seemed perfect. His brother would ruin that, especially because his girlfriend looked like someone they both loved long ago.

He felt the air get cooler and turned around to see fog pouring into his bedroom from the window. The sky seemed to get darker. He was startled to see a crow fly in and screech. It landed on the bed frame at the end of the bed and screeched again. He heard more sound behind him and turned just in time to see someone jump into the window.

The raven-haired man before him just smirked at his obvious fear and chuckled once before speaking. "Hello, brother."

The man sighed, hoping this wouldn't end in disaster. "Damon."


	4. Vervain

Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I've been pretty busy. Thank you for the reviews everyone! To all of those in the United States, Happy Independence Day!

* * *

_Last time-_

_The raven-haired man before him just smirked at his obvious fear and chuckled once before speaking. "Hello, brother."_

_The man sighed, hoping this wouldn't end in disaster. "Damon."_

* * *

Damon smirked. "The one and only."

His younger brother growled. "What are doing here?"

Damon scoffed. "Last time I checked I live here." He walked over to his brother. "Besides, I have a surprise for you. Come with me to see what it is."

With that, he walked out of the room and ran downstairs to the front door. He opened it and walked out to his car with a smirk on his face. He stood in front of the passenger side door until his brother came out. He looked very annoyed, which only made Damon's smirk become more pronounced.

"Okay, I'm out here. What's the surprise?" He walked over until he was almost in front of Damon.

Damon stepped aside, opened the car door, and held out his hand. A thin, small, tan hand took his and a teenager stepped out of the car. His brother dropped his jaw in shock. Damon smiled.

"Stefan, this is Anne Merrick. Anne, this is Stefan Salvatore. He's my younger brother." Stefan and Buffy shook hands.

"Are you a vampire too?" Buffy never mastered the art of not being blunt, or secretive.

Stefan stood there even more shocked while Damon started laughing.

* * *

Buffy stood just inside the foyer, amazed by the size of the living room inside. Damon gave her a quick tour of the house, leaving her bags in one of the guest rooms. They ended their tour with Damon pointing out the kitchen. They went back into the living room where there was another man waiting. Damon rolled his eyes.

"Hello, Damon," the man said while looking at the vampire.

"Zach." Damon forced a smile to his face in reply. "I would like to introduce you to Anne Merrick. She'll be staying with us for a while." He turned to Buffy. "Anne, this is Zach Salvatore. He's our nephew and housekeeper."

Zach didn't know which to be shocked at more: the girl staying here, Damon taking an interest in anyone, or that he told the girl that he was their nephew. Zach put a smile on his face though and stood up before walking over to her. "Hello, Anne. Welcome to the Salvatore Boarding House. If you need anything, please let me know."

She smiled a bright smile in return. "Thank you." They shook hands before Damon interrupted.

"Anne, how would you like to see some of the town?"

She lit up. "I would love to."

Damon nodded. "Okay. I'll go get your pocket book for you."

She smiled. "Thank you."

He sped out of the room. While he was gone, Zach wanted to warn Buffy about him.

"Anne, I just want to give you a heads up. Damon isn't exactly the nicest… person around." He reached in his pocket and pulled a small vial filled with a clear liquid before putting it in her hand. "Here, take this. It's called Vervain. It'll protect you."

Buffy smiled. "It's alright. I'll be perfectly fine. I already have some of that in my necklace apparently. I take it you know what he is then?"

He became even more shocked. "Yes. You know what he is too?"

She giggled slightly. "Of course I do. I can tell any vampire right away."

Zach just stood there, mouth agape, as they heard footsteps coming in. They turned to see Damon, smirking. He handed Buffy her pocket book before looking at Zach.

"Next time you try to warn someone about me being a vampire, make sure to say it where I can't hear you." With that, he grabbed Zach's hand and pulled the vial of Vervain out before breaking one of his fingers. He turned around to take Buffy's hand and lead her out to the car.

* * *

Mystic Grill-

Damon led Buffy inside, where there were pool tables on an elevated platform, a bar on the far side of the room, and tables and booths scattered about. The pair had gone around the town, looking at different places. The Founder's Hall was an interesting trip. He had shown her where he and Stefan had signed the guest list for the first Founder's Ball, where Miss Mystic Falls is crowned. She had laughed at the town's obliviousness. They sat down in a booth before picking up a menu. The waitress came and took their orders; after she left, they put the menus back and started talking.

"So, after we finish here, I was thinking about taking you down to the quarry to show you the falls. Maybe after that, where the old Salvatore house was. How does that sound?"

She smiled. "You mean there's actually a waterfall here?"

He laughed until she saw her confused look. He then realized that she was entirely serious. "Of course there is. That's how the town got its name. They had a tendency to name the towns and cities after what landmarks and natural features back in the olden days. Mystic Falls is no exception."

They looked over as their drinks came. Buffy had a sweet tea, and Damon had his favorite, Bourbon. She just rolled his eyes, and knew she had to comment.

"Do I have to worry about you getting drunk?" She asked with as much seriousness as she could manage. Inside she was laughing because she already knew the answer.

His glass was almost to his mouth as she asked this. He became confused. "What? No. You were there when I was drinking a lot more than this, and it didn't even bother me." Realization dawned over his face then. "But you remember that don't you?"

She couldn't hold it in anymore and just started laughing, which got him laughing. Once they were calmed down, Damon took a sip of the amber-colored liquid he loved before turning back to the girl in front of him. "So, I was thinking that since it is so close to the summer, that it would be kind of pointless to put you in school now. So, as long as you are still here in the fall, you can start back then. Sound good?"

Buffy nodded her head. "Yeah, but how do we know that they'll accept me after what happened at my last school?"

Damon smirked. "I'll take care of that. You just worry about whatever it is that teenage girls worry about."

Buffy smiled. "Thank you, for everything."

Damon smiled softly. "You're welcome."

Just then, a thirty to forty year old woman with short blonde hair and a sheriff's uniform on came over to the table. "Hello. I'm Sheriff Forbes. Welcome to Mystic Falls." She held out her hand to each, both shaking her hand with a smile.

"Hello, Sheriff. I'm Damon Salvatore, this is Anne Merrick. We're new to town." He smiled charmingly at her.

She looked at him questioningly. "Salvatore, as in the Founding Family?"

He smiled. "Yes, I was born here, grew up for a while here, then we left while I was still young. I decided to come back and discover more about where I'm from."

She smiled. "That sounds nice. Good luck!"

"Thank you." He still had his charming smile on.

"May I ask how you know each other?" She was kind of curious.

Damon's smile did not waver, nor did his voice. "She's a friend of mine. She's on summer vacation and decided to come with me and help."

The Sheriff turned to Buffy. "That's nice of you to help your friend. May I ask though about where you go to school that you are already on summer vacation? It seems kind of early."

Buffy was panicking on the inside. She got nervous. "I'm from Los Angeles. We get out in mid-to-late May there."

Just then, the Sheriff's cell phone buzzed. "Sorry, excuse me a moment." She turned around and answered. "Hello?" She listened for a moment. Damon was listening too.

"_Liz, we have another one. Just found this afternoon by the spot all the kids hold the party up towards the ruins of Fell's Church. It looks like another vampire attack."_

"Alright I'm on my way." She hung up and turned around. "I'm sorry, but I have to go. I'll see you around probably. Welcome back to Mystic Falls, Mr. Salvatore." With that she walked off and out of the grill.

Damon looked at Buffy. "You know, Anne, you aren't very good under pressure."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm a juvenile delinquent who has run away from home. She's the Sheriff of a small town. She's probably going to run my name on the computer when she gets to her car or office."

Damon was impressed. "Maybe, but you still suck under pressure."

She sighed and rolled her eyes. Their food came just then. They ate and made small talk. Afterwards, Damon paid the bill and the walked out the door. On the way out, they ran into a group of teenagers walking in. One was darker skinned, had dark hair and eyes; another had blonde hair, was fair skinned, and blue eyes; the last had dark hair, dark eyes, an olive skin tone, and sent Damon into the past.

He couldn't stop staring. She looked exactly like her. He had met her once before, but he was still in awe. No one knew what he was really here for, and it wasn't only because he needed help with a teenager.

Buffy pulled his arm to get his attention. "Damon?"

He snapped out of it. "Yeah?"

"You okay?" She looked concerned.

"I'm fine. I think I just saw my brother's girlfriend. Boy does he have explaining to do."

With that, he led her to the car and took her to see the falls.

* * *

Buffy had seen the falls, seen the old Salvatore mansion ruins, and she and Damon were now on the way back to the Salvatore boarding house.

Damon looked over at her. "Did you have a good day today?"

Buffy looked back and smiled. "I did. Thank you."

He smiled back. "Don't mention it. It was kind of fun showing someone around. Just don't tell anyone I ever said that." He winked at her conspiratorially.

She giggled. "I promise."

They pulled into the driveway and then went inside. They found something to eat, had a nice dinner with Stefan and Zach, and then Buffy went to her room. She was doing Tai Chi to calm herself for the night when Zach walked in. Considering her bedroom was very near Damon's room, he was taking a very big risk.

She looked over at him. "Yes?"

He looked nervous, though he had good reason. She assumed, and could slightly feel both vampires listening in to the conversation, ready to intervene as needed. "I'm sorry about before. I just assumed you didn't know what Damon is or what he is like."

She rolled her eyes. "It's okay. You were just being cautious. He isn't as bad as you think. Not all vampires are entirely evil. Believe me, I know the difference. He's breed of vampires have their souls. The kind I'm used to fighting lose their souls when their turned."

He got closer to her. "Damon is a bad person. You haven't known him long."

She got right in his face. "You have? I'm pretty sure I know him better than you right now. Besides, if he's always mean to you, don't you think there might be a good reason? I mean, you are getting a little annoying."

She heard Damon's laughter through the walls and on the other side of the house, she could hear Stefan's chuckling mixed in with a sigh before muttering something about being compelled to not like him. Buffy rolled her eyes. She would talk to Stefan about that later. Looking back at Zach's shocked expression, she had to admit though that she didn't really know Damon well. They had only met a few days ago.

She turned around to grab the clothes she sat out for a shower; she felt a needle go in her neck before sending her elbow backwards, which connected to his jaw. She turned around and grabbed his arm before twisting it around behind his back where she whispered dangerously in his ear. "What did you just give me?"

By now, both Damon and Stefan were in her room and looking at the Slayer holding the human in a dangerous position. Stefan looked worried while Damon looked like he was trying to hold back laughing while smirking. Zach was scared in this position, so he told the truth. "Vervain."

Damon came forward at vampire speed, picking up their nephew by the neck. "Why did you give her Vervain?"

Zach choked out, "To keep her safe from you."

Stefan said, "Damon put him down."

Buffy looked over to Stefan incredulously. "Seriously? You're taking his side?"

Stefan looked at Buffy. "He's human. If Damon isn't careful, then he might hurt him, or worse, kill him."

Buffy walked over to Stefan predatorily. "He could have had something else in that syringe. What if it was something that could kill me? I've never ingested Vervain. How do we know what it will do to me? I mean, the Slayer isn't entirely human."

Damon smirked. He started speaking to his nephew, looking him in the eyes. "Zach, if you ever come near her again, I will rip your heart out. Understand?" Zach sighed, but nodded yes anyway. "Good." Damon let him down. Zach gasped for air before nearly running out of the room. Stefan glared at Damon, who glared back, before running after Zach.

Damon turned to Buffy, smirking. "Nice moves." He became serious. "Are you alright?"

Buffy was confused. "I'm not sure."

Damon was now the one confused. "What do you mean you're not sure?"

She looked at Damon scared. "Should it feel like it's burning me?"

Damon's eyes widened. "It feels like it's burning you?"

Buffy nodded before she got really dizzy and started falling to the ground. Damon got over to her in time to catch her. He lifted her up and laid her on the bed. What did he do now?


	5. Waking Up to a Plan

Thank you for the reviews everyone! Sorry it has been so long since I've updated. I've been busy and have had writer's block.

* * *

Damon looked at the prone form of the teenage girl on the bed. He wasn't sure he did the right thing. He had no idea how she would react physically, but hoped that it would help. He also hoped that she didn't get mad when, or if, she woke up. He thought back to how he handled things… badly.

* * *

He looked Buffy over, making sure that it couldn't have been caused by anything else. He understood though because that is how his body reacted to Vervain. There was only one thing Damon could think of to do. He sat down on the other side of the bed at vampire speed and put her body into his left arm and lap, so he was cradling her, making sure her throat was at a good angle.

With only a moment's hesitation about what he was going to do, he bit into his wrist before opening her mouth and putting it in there. He felt the blood leaving his body and trickling down her throat. She unconsciously started sucking at the blood shortly after. Once he was sure she had enough blood to heal her, hopefully, he pulled his wrist away. She instinctively cried out, wanting more.

His wrist instantly started healing the moment he pulled it back. He laid her down on her back before standing up and moving a chair to beside the bed. He sat down and began waiting to see what happened.

* * *

That had been a few hours ago. He had left the room only once, but that was to get some blood to replenish his body. He had kept an ear on Anne the entire time, not trusting Zach to go back in there. He sighed and took a sip of the bourbon he had grabbed while he was downstairs. He heard movement behind him. It was a set of footsteps coming into the room.

"What do you want, Stefan?" Damon asked his brother as he put the glass on the table beside him.

"You shouldn't have come here, Damon. You had no right to threaten Zach." Stefan walked in front him, taking his attention from Anne to himself.

Damon looked up at Stefan. "I had every right to threaten him. If she dies from this, then he will too."

Stefan looked at Damon incredulously. "What are talking about? She isn't dying. She's asleep."

Damon was in front of Stefan in a fraction of a second, with his hand around Stefan's throat, and now on the other side of the room. His voice was deadly and dangerous. "She isn't asleep. After you left with Zach, she said it felt like she was burning, and then passed out. I gave her my blood, but she hasn't responded to anything since. Now, get out of the room." He released Stefan and then walked back to the chair at human pace. As he heard Stefan leaving the room, he said, "Pass along the warning to Zach."

Damon took the glass and drank more of the amber liquid. He got comfortable while he began waiting again.

* * *

Earlier, in the parlor-

Zach walked into the room in an angered rush. Stefan wasn't far behind him, just following Zach, expecting Damon to come and try to kill their nephew any moment. The human turned around to address his vampire uncle.

"Has Damon lost his mind? Messing with a young girl's mind like that… it's just maddening! He has to be stopped."

Stefan tried to calm the man down some. "She does have Vervain on her. This isn't just him using her as a blood bag, because as far as I know, he hasn't even touched her blood, or body in any way that's… intimate. He felt as though he needed to help her. She was a runaway and alone. He didn't even intend on asking her to come with him. It just came out of his mouth before he knew it happened. I agree though, about him having to be stopped. I'm not sure how though. I'm still thinking of a plan."

Zach stared at Stefan in disbelief. She had come here willingly? With Damon no less! He got over his shock and sighed. "Vervain."

Stefan looked at him surprised. "That's impossible. Vervain hasn't grown here in a long time. Damon made sure of that. And, I gave the last bit I had to Elena to keep her safe."

Zach looked around and motioned with his hand and head to follow him. Stefan followed along, going to the basement to a locked door, like a cell. Zach opened it to reveal lots of Vervain. Stefan gasped in surprise.

"It's been passed down in the family on how to grow Vervain since it was rumored we are related to vampires," Zach explained, while they walked into the room more, but he still talked low, worried about Damon overhearing him.

Stefan began to smile again slightly. "This could work." Zach started smiling too.

* * *

Buffy felt like she was being held underwater while fire burned through her. The imaginary water did nothing to help soothe the burn though. She kept trying to fight it. She kept trying to come to the surface. It had started almost as soon as the guy had put a needle into her. With her accelerated heartbeat, due to adrenaline, it spread faster than it would have otherwise. She remembered telling Damon she felt like she was burning, and then nothing. She must have lost consciousness.

She felt something cooler than her, but actually still warm, coming into her mouth. She tried to fight it, but a voice told her to drink, so she did. She trusted that voice; it was Damon. She drank until he told her to stop, and then the liquid stopped going down her throat. She whimpered at the loss of contact, and at the yummy fluid.

Still, there was burning. It felt like she burned for hours, or days, or maybe even months. It had slowly started to fade and numb, allowing her to become slightly more aware of her surroundings. She knew there was someone else in the place she was. After a while, the burning went away completely. Then there was blackness; she didn't even know her surroundings anymore. Soon after that though, she was able to come above the water and open her eyes to see the room she was in before. She sat up in a gasp. In the chair next to the bed was Damon. He was asleep, until she woke up that is.

"Hi." That was all she said.

He was completely in a dreamless sleep until he heard a gasp along with movement. He woke up to see Buffy looking at him. He heard her amazing voice. He leaned over to brush some of her hair behind her ear.

"Hey. How are you feeling?" He was concerned about her. He had never felt that way before for a human, unless you count his little brother before they were turned and before Katherine came.

"I'm kind of sleepy. I feel better though; no more burning or water pressing down on me. I am kind of hungry though. I also feel like I've been ran over by a steam roller." She turned around some to see if she could find some relief, but made sure she was still facing Damon.

Damon got confused about the things she was describing, but smiled anyway. "Do you want some pain relievers? I think we have some Ibuprofen in the house. What would you like to eat and drink?"

Buffy smiled. "I would love some Ibuprofen, please. I just want some water to drink. I don't really care what kind of food, as long as it's edible, preferably tasting good too."

Damon smirked. He stood up and kissed her on the forehead. "I'll be right back." He swished away at vampire speed. Buffy laid there, her gaze lingering at the door he just disappeared through, and a small smile on her face.

Damon went to the kitchen and got a glass and filled it up with ice and water. He heard Zach and St. Stefan in the living room, so he ran in there. "Zach, you're the human. Do you have any Ibuprofen in the house?"

They both looked at him incredulously. "What?"

Stefan raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? What do you need that for Damon? You're a vampire, we don't get headaches."

Damon rolled his eyes. "Actually we can. If you get drunk, and get a hangover, you have a headache. Sure it doesn't last long, but you can get one." He sighed. "It's not for me. It's for Buffy. She just woke up and hurts everywhere."

Stefan looked confused for a moment. "She just now woke up?"

I nodded. "Yeah, it was becoming too long. I was thinking of taking her to the hospital."

Zach spoke up then, sounding kind of sad. He should; it's his fault in the first place if you ask Damon. "It's in the bathroom down here. It's on the top shelf in the cabinet."

Damon smiled. "Thank you." He took off at vampire speed and found the bottle right where Zach said it was. He took out three before closing it and putting it back. He zoomed back to the kitchen and grabbed an apple for Buffy until he could make something.

Once back upstairs, he handed the water and medicine to Buffy, which she gladly took. She swallowed the medicine and sighed with hopeful relief. He handed her the apple.

"That's for now, just until I can get something made." She nodded. "Does spaghetti sound okay to you?"

She smiled. "That sounds really good."

He smiled back. "Okay. I'll be back in a little bit. Do you need anything else?"

She bit her bottom lip for a moment before asking, "Do you think I can come down there with you and watch?"

He smiled even bigger. "Sure. Can you walk?"

Buffy cocked her head to the side slightly and moved to stand up. "Let's see." She started standing up, but her legs gave out and she fell into Damon's waiting arms. She blushed. "Let me try again." This time, she was ready, so she used more strength and held onto Damon until she was steadily standing on her own two feet. She smiled. "Lead the way."

Damon smiled and gestured towards the door. She started walking towards the door, with Damon close by, ready to help if she needed it. Once in the hall, they walked side by side. Going down the stairs, she held on to the railing, but made it. Damon had carried her glass of water down for her. They went into the kitchen. Buffy sat at the small table they had in there. Damon put the water down in front of her before heading to start cooking the ingredients.

They sat in silence for a while, Damon eventually changing Buffy's water to juice so she could get vitamins in her body. After a while, the spaghetti was done, with homemade sauce, and the two ate while making small talk. Then Buffy asked the two questions Damon didn't want her to.

"So, what happened to me?"

Damon sighed before putting down his fork and looking at her in the eyes. "Apparently, you are allergic to Vervain. You were injected with it, and it nearly killed you."

"Who injected me with it?" She wondered who would do that.

"Zach." Damon still wasn't happy about that.

"How did I get better?" Question number one he was dreading to answer. He wasn't sure how he would react.

He hesitated for a bit before answering. "I gave you my blood." She looked confused and he sighed again. "Vampire blood has healing properties. It can also make you a vampire if you die with it in your system."

She was silent for a minute as she processed that. She nodded.

"How long was I knocked out for?"

Ah, the dreaded question. He didn't want to answer this question even more. He had been a nervous wreck the entire time. She had barely moved; breathing, and not much else. He had gone through ten bottles of bourbon, at least. Stefan and Zach had gone out and gotten him some more. He must have hesitated too long because he heard her beautiful voice again.

"Damon, how long was I out?" It was more frantic this time, and more demanding.

He sighed. He had to answer her. "Three days." She opened her mouth in surprise.

* * *

A/N: I want to know what everyone thinks. Should she be becoming a vampire right now?


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